The spiritual journey is often likened to climbing a mountain. For some, Christianity is one path up the mountain; for some, it is the only path up the mountain. Regardless of one's position on the number of "paths" up the mountain, a critical question remains for us all: "How can we know how well along the journey we are?"

What is required to move us up the mountain? By what criteria do we judge the integrity of our spiritual growth and development? What are the measures of enlightenment? Do we ever arrive at a fully developed, fully actualized mountaintop state? What traps lie in wait for us as we journey up the mountain of spiritual development?

These are the questions raised by Mariana Caplan in her splendid book, Halfway Up the Mountain: The Error of Premature Claims to Enlightenment. Beginning from the (accurate) thesis that the quest for spiritual enlightenment in contemporary Western culture is a muddle of conflicting, confusing, and contradictory messages, Caplan presents compelling guidance for spiritual seekers. Focusing mostly on Westernized Eastern religions and practices other than Judaism and Christianity, Halfway Up the Mountain is no less relevant or applicable. The greatest danger, according to Caplan, is that Western seekers demand all the benefits of spiritual enlightenment without the commensurate willingness to lead sacrificial, disciplined lives. We want the quick fix. We want our enlightenment handed to us in a palatable pill form. Forthrightly, Caplan reminds readers that there is no short cut to true enlightenment and that the ultimate responsibility for spiritual growth and development lies with the seeker.

This in no way relieves spiritual teachers from their responsibility to their students. A major portion of the book deals with the criteria and preparation for those who would claim to be spiritual leaders. In The United Methodist Church, where spiritual direction and guidance is often treated as a hobby and there is no formal training requirement or certification for such teachers, this material is especially valuable.

Assessing the spiritual qualifications of teachers, students, institutions, and processes is a complex endeavor. Western culture assumes an "anything goes" attitude toward things spiritual. Popular authors such as Gary Zukav and Deepak Chopra gut the core of both mainline and fringe spiritualities and dole out a hodgepodge faith/fad du jour — believe the pieces you like and disregard the hard stuff. The sad result is a mounting disillusionment with all faith approaches. Since the pseudo-spirituality is bereft of any substance, and since much of the mainline Western spiritual institutions are so stuffy and unfocused, many people have come to the belief that all things spiritual are false. By trying to make it easy and pain-free, many religious, church, and pop-spiritual leaders have robbed faith of its foundation.

Our Western society lacks a spiritual-cultural matrix. We have no faith that helps define and identify us. We might like to hold fast to the idea that we are a "Christian nation," but we would be hard pressed to prove the idea — due to the lack of evidence. In The United Methodist Church, as an example, more members avoid church on Sunday morning than attend. Few churches report fifty percent or greater worship attendance on a weekly basis. In a recent gathering of Methodist clergy, sixty-eight percent admitted that they "don't have time" during the week for prayer, meditation, or Scripture study apart from what they prepare for their congregations. Based on sales, it is estimated that the Bible is the most sold, least read, book of all time. An informal Mediamart survey of 90,000 mall shoppers across America in 1999 reported that 71,454 claimed to be Christian, but fewer than 4,000 had read the Bible within the last week. Regular, disciplined prayer, fasting, study, and meditation are rare in our denomination. The power to transform lives from self-focused to Spirit-focused lies in the practice of the spiritual disciplines, both individual and corporate. The role of leaders in today's church is to create environments for spiritual growth and development. We need faithful teachers who can not only share ideas and information, but also model an integrated, disciplined life.

Mariana Caplan calls us to expect — even to demand — more from spiritual leaders. She goes even further to challenge seekers to demand more of themselves. Drawing from the teaching and experience of more than thirty contemporary spiritual teachers/seekers, Caplan creates a marvelous exploration of the current spiritual landscape in Halfway Up the Mountain.

Although this book is not oriented to a predominantly Christian audience, I heartily encourage all spiritual leaders and spiritual seekers (i.e., everyone!) to read Halfway Up the Mountain and discuss its implications for our church and our world. We cannot continue to play at religion. Our spiritual quest must lead us somewhere — somewhere better, somewhere holy. The work of the spirit — the journey toward enlightenment — is demanding and difficult work. It must matter deeply to us, and we must understand the costs involved in the spiritual life. Christian leaders do no one any service by trying to make the life of discipleship simple, easy, or fun. What makes the path of the Christian disciple fulfilling, joyous, and worthwhile is that it leads us to a depth of meaning and purpose much larger than ourselves and into relationship with God in Jesus Christ. Regardless of the cost — the incredible sacrifice of time, energy, and resources — demanded to be a disciple, the benefits are boundless. But we will never get back more than we are willing to put in. Spiritual work is serious work. The time has come to give it the value it deserves. We can be thankful that Mariana Caplan has the courage to call us to account. Halfway up the mountain is no better than no way up the mountain. God expects more.

(originally posted June 22, 2000)

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